A Portland, Ore., woman said a Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) installation contractor bilked her out of $170 in July. A woman in Coweta County, Ga., said a DirecTV (NYSE: T) tech contractor stole her jewelry. On a far more serious note, another DirecTV contractor is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl during an installation project in July in Paterson, N.J. Also, last year, a Wisconsin woman filed suit, claiming a Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) installer sexually assaulted her.
Does the pay-TV industry have a problem with criminal behavior by third-party installation techs?
For its part, FierceInstaller probed federal crime statistical databases and could find no evidence that the installation contractors visiting residential homes for pay-TV companies commit more crimes on the job than, say, plumbers. But operators are mindful of the headlines and are taking steps. For more, read the full FierceInstaller report here.